PROVINCETOWN, Mass. — A call Friday with Vice President Kamala Harris and about 300 major Democratic donors left many callers frustrated, with one donor declaring it “ridiculous” shortly before it ended, according to two sources familiar with the call. with the connection.
One person on the call referred to it as “poorly managed” and “rushed.” They added that expectations were not well managed and some participants left feeling reprimanded.
That person and two other sources said many donors signed on in hopes of getting an insider’s view of how to move forward in the wake of the President Joe BidenJohn’s poor debate performance and the growing number of Democrats calling for him to drop out of the race. Instead, they said donors left the call feeling disappointed and like they hadn’t gained any new insights or useful information.
“It was a complete failure,” said a source who was on the call and who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide a candid assessment. “It was harmful. It was bad planning.”
The conference call was organized by Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign chairman, and not the campaign’s finance team, according to a source familiar with the planning. One of the sources who participated in the call said the donors who participated represented a wide range of views — some die-hard Biden fans, some unconvinced about his path forward and many views in between.
At the end of the call, hundreds of participants were unmuted and one person declared the call “ridiculous,” according to two of the sources.
One source emphasized that they interpreted the comment as an indication that the call was mishandled and not as a criticism of Harris.
During the call, Harris, who was invited to join the call by Biden’s senior advisers, praised Biden, according to campaign officials.
“We know which candidate in this election puts the American people first: our president, Joe Biden,” she said, according to campaign officials. “With every decision he makes in the Oval Office, he thinks about how it will affect American workers. And I witness this every day.”
Harris also spoke positively about Democrats’ chances of defeating former President Donald Trump. “Something I believe in with all my heart,” Harris said, according to campaign officials. “It’s something I strongly believe you all should hear and take with you when you leave. And tell your friends too. We will win this election. We will win.”
NBC News has reached out to the Biden campaign for comment.
The fallout from the call comes as donations to the Biden-Harris campaign and Democratic groups have plummeted and as Harris has been sent multiple times to speak to donors as questions swirl about Biden’s future on the ticket.
The call with donors began with presentations from field organizers who expressed anger at the ongoing debate within the Democratic Party over support for President Biden, given what they saw and heard from local voters, according to a source with direct knowledge of the discussion. . .
One source said that before Harris joined there appeared to be an effort to stall, which they said is normal at events with high-ranking officials. But what angered many donors, this source said, was that during the wait – which lasted about 20 minutes – donors were “admonished”. Conference call participants were told they needed to “stand down and support” Biden and not pursue efforts to oust the president.
“Please help us turn down the volume on this conversation publicly,” Melissa Morales, founder and president of Somos Votantes, said on the call, according to a transcript obtained by NBC News. “It’s time to put an end to the leaks and rampant rumors. Her message was heard and received. But every day we continue this publicly chaotic conversation, we come closer to a loss – no matter who the nominee is.”
That didn’t sit well with some call participants.
“These are donors who are not used to being warned and told what to do,” the source said.
Another source who was on the call and supports Harris being the Democratic nominee countered the donor’s feelings of frustration.
The person said that although many donors thought they would get insightful and confidential information, they immediately went to the media and proved why they shouldn’t get it.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Harris spoke at a campaign fundraiser in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and praised Biden as one of the most important presidents in history.
Harris received applause at several parts of her speech talking about her and Biden’s record, including defending the rights of the LGBTQ community.
But the loudest cheers from the crowd came when someone in the crowd of 1,000 shouted “Go get him, Kamala” as Harris criticized Trump.
The applause lasted for several seconds as Harris smiled and looked out at the excited crowd of about a thousand people.
After Harris left the stage, Lennie Alickman, 63, said he wanted to see Biden step aside.
“She’s on a tightrope. She has to be very careful not to alienate Biden,” Alickman said when asked about Harris praising Biden throughout the speech. “In fact, I would like to see Kamala at the top of the list. She could execute and continue the policies of the Biden administration. I love Biden, but I’m not sure he’s up to the job. And I’m worried he’ll lose to Trump.”
John Newton, 75, who attended the fundraiser, also said he believes Biden needs to drop out of the race and wants to see Harris become the party’s nominee.
“I love Joe,” Newton said. “In a business context, it’s like your 81-year-old salesman messed up at the convention and didn’t make the numbers. And you have to go in and tell him, ‘Judy is replacing you.’ It’s not fun. But unfortunately, this has to happen.”
Harris ended her speech at the event that would have raised $2 million by talking about her campaign manager when she ran for district attorney in San Francisco.
She said he told her, “You must recognize what you are fighting against — and know that those who oppose progress will always try to suggest that a freedom movement is somehow subversive and that it undermines who we are as a nation or our traditions.” But what we do know is that it strengthens who we are as a nation when we fight to expand rights.”
This article was originally published in NBCNews. with
